Norwich City kept some esteemed company during the past season, mixing with the best clubs in Europe despite missing out on the Championship promotion race.
The Canaries’ exploits in front of goal compare favourably with the continent’s top five leagues: the Premier League, Serie A in Italy, Ligue Un in France, the Bundesliga in Germany and Spain’s Primera Division.
City’s total of 85 goals saw them match the total of Championship title winners Newcastle and play-off qualifiers Fulham, for a goals per game average of 1.9 across the 46-match campaign.
That is a similar return to Lazio (74), Inter Milan (72) and Torino (71), who all finished in the top half in Italy with a 1.9 average from 38 matches, as well as Leipzig (66) and Hoffenheim (64), who finished in the top four in Germany, also with a 1.9 average but from 34 matches.
Spanish giants Barcelona led the way with an incredible 116 scored in 38 games for an average of 3.1 per game, with Argentina star Lionel Messi scoring 37 of that total.
It wasn’t enough to edge Real Madrid to the title, who are tied in second place on 2.8 goals per game having scored a total of 106, tying them with French champions Monaco in the goal-scoring stakes.
The Canaries’ total of 85 was the club’s best ever return in the English second tier, beating the 84 scored by the title winning squad of 1986, and left them tied in 16th when compared with some of the most expensively assembled squads in the world.
Europe’s top scorers
• 1 Barcelona – 116 (3.1 per game)
• 2= Monaco 107 (2.8pg)
Real Madrid 106
• 4 Bayern Munich – 89 (2.6pg)
• 5 Napoli – 94 (2.5pg)
• 6 Roma – 90 (2.4pg)
• 7 Tottenham Hotspur – 86 (2.3pg)
• 8= Chelsea – 85 (2.2pg)
Paris Saint-Germain 83
• 10= Manchester City – 80 (2.1pg)
Liverpool – 78
Lyon – 77
Borussia Dortmund – 72
• 14= Arsenal – 77 (2pg)
Juventus 77
• 16= Fulham – 85 (1.9pg)
Newcastle United – 85
NORWICH CITY – 85
Lazio – 74
Inter Milan – 72
Torino – 71
Red Bull Leipzig – 66
Hoffenheim – 64
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here